Embers And Ashes
by regalroses
Summary: Ashes were heavy in the air. Fire was burning and blazing at its brightest as a group of five people were running away from the ruins of Lothering. That's how it always starts out. The family runs for safety, but at what cost? After the death of their two siblings, Ashleigh and Kim Hawke struggle to take control of their lives after running. How will the Hawke sisters handle this?


**Embers and Ashes**

Prologue

*Third Person Point Of View*

Ashes were heavy in the air. Fire was burning and blazing at its brightest as a group of five people were running away from the ruins of Lothering. A girl with wavy brown hair shook her head as she looked over around at her family. The family stopped to catch their breath from running as Bethany put her staff on her back, looking at her sisters, Kim and Ashleigh and her brother. "Well!" Ashleigh exclaimed, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. "We're finally safe... or is it just me? Just me? Okay." She remarked, looking at the fire, the ashes, and the ruins of Lothering left in the distance.

"Haha, very funny Ashe." Carver said, running a hand through his dark, shaggy hair angrily at Ashleigh. "You know, you should take up being a joker as a profession when we finally get safe. It's not like Kim, you, and I have been running since Ostagar or anything." Ashleigh narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to him.

"Do you really want to-" Kim stepped forward, not being able to keep silent any longer while the two argued.

"STOP!" She exclaimed, stepping in between the two and splitting them apart. "We can't do this now! We can fight later, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather be not torn alive by the darkspawn horde." Kim snapped, looking at the two with narrowed eyes. Ashleigh lowered her head, she knew Kim rarely yelled unless she was really mad.

"I'm sorry Kim. Lead on." She said sincerely, nodding to her politely. Kim stepped forward as they moved forward quickly. A horde of darkspawn were dead ahead, so Kim drew her sword and shield as Ashleigh drew her daggers. Bethany quickly drew her staff and casted magic as Carver drew his sword. Ashleigh sliced darkspawn, moving swiftly and quickly. Kim narrowed her eyes and dealt hard damage as she attacked the Hurlock. Carver brought his sword down angrily, tired of being in the shadow of Kim and Ashleigh. He ran forward and struck the darkspawn a few time, knocking it off its feet. "And stay down!" He spat, his anger taking over the best of him. Ashleigh turned at the wrong time. A darkspawn was heading towards him, charging as fast as it could.

"Carver! Look out!" She yelled, trying to catch his attention.

Too late. Carver fell backwards, dazed. The darkspawn stood on him and slashed Carver's throat. Ashleigh get there a second too late, and Carver was limp on the ground. She shanked her dagger into the Genlock's head. "Caver?!" She exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, Maker please let it be he's just playing a rude joke." Kim put her hand on Ashleigh's shoulder.

"We can't stay, Ashleigh. We have to carry on." Kim said calmly, the breeze flowing towards them. Ashleigh wiped her blue eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry... we should go. I... we should, yeah." Ashleigh said, trying to get out words of her brother's death.

Ashleigh felt like she was about ready to burst out in tears, even though she knew that Carver felt like he was always in her and Kim's shadow, he played a more important role than he ever thought he would. "We were fighting just a few minutes ago... and now he's gone." She finally managed to say, looking up. "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry." She shook her head. Kim wiped her eyes as she looked down at Carver's cold and unmoving body.

"May you find peace with the Maker." She said in a somber tone, trying not to burst out into tears right then and there. "I knew you always thought you were in our shadows... you never were. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you that you weren't." She sniffled and looked up with glassy eyes.

"I'm sorry." Kim said, brushing herself off. "We should press forward while we still can." Bethany shook her head as she wiped her eyes. So the group of now four pressed forward, trying their best to try and go ahead without Carver with them. The ashes were still heavy in the air, as well as the musky smell of smoke. The wind blew in the direction they were moving in, causing Kim's and Bethany's hair to flow freely. As they turned the corner, they saw a group of two people. One of them was a red haired warrior, and the next was a templar. As they were done fighting the darkspawn, the templar looked over to Bethany and narrowed his eyes.

"Apostate!" He hissed as examined Kim, Leandra, Ashleigh, and Bethany. "Keep your distance!" Bethany chuckled.

"Well the Maker has a sense of humor." She commented, smiling. "First darkspawn, and now a templar? Hmm, I thought they all abandoned Lothering." Ashleigh looked around, tuning out the conversation, taking time to look back at Carver's pale corpse. _He was too young_... She thought, shaking her head. Her eyes filled with tears again, but she quickly wiped them away, trying not to let anyone see how weak she was right then.

"Well, um... we should move on." Bethany said as Ashleigh started to tune back in. Ashleigh nodded.

"Yes, let's go." Kim said, taking this in and nodded. "You can come with us, we need as much help as we can get." The group pressed forward. After the group encountered a few small groups of darkspawn, the ground started to shake vigorously. A massive rumble came underneath them, causing Ashleigh, Aveline, and Kim to fall down on the ground. Bethany almost fell, but quickly got back up on her feet. She stood in front of Leandra defensively, and the ogre turned its attention to her. It grabbed her from mid air and slammed her on to the ground. Ashleigh looked at the ogre in horror, and Kim stared in disbelief. Kim shook her head and drew her weapons. "To arms!" She yelled, starting to attack the ogre. Ashleigh drew her daggers and slashed the ogre, stumbling backwards a few times when the ogre kicked back at Ashleigh. Kim jumped up and stabbed her sword into the ogre's head, putting it in a few more times to make sure that it was actually dead. Ashleigh looked over at Bethany and quickly sprinting over to her, Kim following close behind.

"Bethany? Please, please darling, wake up!" Leandra said, tears streaming down her face as she stared down at her daughter. Ashleigh kneeled down by her mother as they stared at her sister. Kim looked over at Ashleigh and Leandra as they looked down at Bethany's now cold and unmoving body. Leandra turned over to Kim and Ashleigh. "How could you two let her do that? She was your guys' younger sister! My little angel..." Leandra seethed before breaking down into sobs. Ashleigh lowered her head, a stray tear running down her face.

"I'm sorry Mother... there was nothing that we could do." She said, wiping the tear away and looked around, not wanting anyone else to be killed. "Bethany sacrificed herself so we could live. Isn't that enough?" She said. Kim shook her head.

"We have to keep moving." Kim said sadly.

"Flames!" Aveline spat as the group turned around. "We're too late!" The group drew their weapons, running off into different directions. A few minutes later, the group eventually came back into the center.

"There's too many of them!" Kim said, looking around in fear. A giant dragon swooped out of nowhere, charring the darkspawn. Ashleigh looked over at it skeptically as it turned into an old woman. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't having vivid hallucinations. She tried to figure out what she was before she actually tuned back into the conversation. It appeared that she was going to take them to Gwaren to get to Kirkwall. Ashleigh sighed and followed Aveline and Kim, on their way to Gwaren to get away.

_)-(_

A year past by as Kim and Ashleigh's year was up for being a mercenary. After quite a few near-death experiences, the two Hawke sisters got tougher than they had been when they first arrived in Kirkwall. "Come on, Bartrand! Be reasonable!" Ashleigh said, trying to persuade the dwarf to let them on the expedition into the Deep Roads. Bartrand narrowed his eyes and kept walking.

"No!" He protested stubbornly. Ashleigh sighed and turned to Kim.

"He isn't listening to me, why don't you try and talk some sense into him?" She asked, obviously frustrated with the dwarf. Kim sighed and looked over to Bartrand.

"Come on, Bartrand. You need us! We've face darkspawn before! That's something that most people on your team haven't!" The tension between the three rose, the early morning sun was rising and the wind blew, the air smelling like the normal smoke. It reminded Ashleigh of another part of Lothering that her family lived in. Bartrand shook his head.

"We already have enough hirelings, we don't need any more. Off you go!" Kim sighed and turned to her sister.

"Looks like we're not going to be hired for the expedition into the Deep Roads anytime soon." Ashleigh remarked sarcastically. "Maybe we can turn to Gamlen, he might have some people that could help us." Kim shook her head.

"Even if there is anyone we can turn to, I doubt they'd want to help us." She said, shaking her head. Ashleigh sighed, starting to walk with her sister out of Hightown. A guy about Kim's age ran past, picking Kim's pocket and taking her money bag. She quickly checked her pockets and turned around, glaring at the man. "Hey!" She yelled, about ready to run after him. A dwarf with blonde hair and no bead took out his crossbow and shot him in the shoulder, pinning him to wall.

"I used to know a guy like you, could tell if he could pick a pocket just by smiling at him. But you? You don't have the style to work in Hightown." He said, holding his hand out for the money pouch. The pouch was placed into the dwarf's hand as he smirked. "Why don't you find yourself a new line of work?" He punched the man in the face and took back his arrow. "Off you go!" The dwarf walked towards Kim and tossed her pouch. She looked at the dwarf in confusion as he put his arrow away. "Varric Tethras, at your service." He said, nodding towards them politely. "I apologize for Bartrand, he wouldn't know a deal if it punched him straight in the jaw." Kim raised an eyebrow at Varric.

"But you would?" She asked, not sure if she should trust him or not. Varric chuckled and nodded.

"That I would, but let me get straight to the point: we don't need another hireling, we need a partner. Invest in the expedition with fifty sovereigns, and that's a deal Bartrand can't resist." Ashleigh blinked, staring at the dwarf.

"So..." Ashleigh finally pipped up, surprising Kim and Varric. "You honestly expect us to have fifty sovereigns? We're out here trying to get some decent money ourselves." Varric shrugged.

"Kirkwall is crawling with work to do around here. If we could do enough work, then we can get the money for the expedition." Ashleigh looked at Kim, nodding.

"This is your choice after all, dear sister." She said, keeping silent for the rest of the conversation. Kim turned back to Varric and extended her hand.

"Alright, you have a deal." She said, smiling. Varric smiled and shook Kim's hand, despite how short he was.

"Perfect! if you ever need me, I have a room at the Hanged Man, but for now: lead on!"

_)-(_

Ashleigh shook her head, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Why are we even here, exactly?" She asked, thinking she would freeze to death in Sundermount. Kim rolled her eyes and looked back at her.

"We need to return an amulet to the Dalish, that Flemeth did save us after all." Kim said, approaching the two Dalish guards. Varric chuckled and stood next to Isabela, his eyebrow also raised, but at Ashleigh this time.

"Lighten up, bobetta." He said, looking over to Ashleigh. "I'm sure you'll get used to the weather." Ashleigh rolled her eyes at Varric and continued walking, a small smile forming on her face. The cold wind continued to whip the group as the walked into the camp, after Kim explained what they were doing there. The tall trees loomed over everyone, the leaves making a 'crunch' every time they walked. Kim walked up to an elf next to a fire and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Keeper Marithari?" She asked, assuming it was her. The elf turned around in surprise and eyed Kim.

"Ah, come _Da'len_. so you must be the one Ashabellanar was talking about. I am indeed, Keeper Marithari. Come, let me have a look at you." Kim stepped forward, and Keeper Marithari eyed her. "There is a bright light inside of you, don't let it burn out... now, I suppose you want to know what you have to do to give the amulet to Ashabellanar..." She explained to Kim what she needed to do to return the amulet. After, they were going the Keeper's first, Merrill. As the group ventured up the hill, they came across a elven girl, focusing on doing something, they had no idea what. Kim cleared her throat, and the girl turned around.

"Oh! I didn't hear... you must be the one the Keeper told me about... _Aneth ara._ I'm so sorry! I didn't ask for your name! Unless... it's not rude to ask a human for their name, is it? I'm Merrill, which you probably knew already... I'm rambling, sorry." Kim chuckled and shook her head 'No.'

"My name is Kim, but most people call me Hawke. It's nice to make your acquaintance." She said, smiling at Merrill. Ashleigh's breath hitched in her throat once she got a good look at her. Ashleigh quickly snapped out of it, forbidding herself to fall in love again. "This is Varric, Isabela, and Ashleigh. Ashleigh is my sister, even though we don't look alike." Ashleigh walked forward and stuck out her hand for Merrill, being the first one to greet her out of the rest. Besides Kim.

"It's nice to meet you Merrill." She said, smiling. "My name is Ashleigh, as Kim told you. You can call me Ash, or Leigh. Either works." Merrill shook her hand.

"I'll call you Ash, if that's alright." She smiled and stepped back, having Isabela and Varric greet her. Kim nudge her sister with her elbow.

"You like Merrill?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Ashleigh looked over to Kim.

"She's a nice person, yes." She said, trying to get out of the conversation she was being led into. Kim rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean, you and Merrill. Do you like her?" She asked, causing Ashleigh to suppress a sigh.

"No, Kim. It seems like you'll never get off my back about that. Besides, we've only just met. How am I expected to know what love is after two minutes?" She said, rolling her eyes and motioning forward with her head. "Lead on, after Varric and Isabela are done over there." She pointed to Merrill who was blushing and Isabela was laughing. Kim sighed and lead forward, telling them to get off of Merrill's back. Varric stepped away and chuckled, knowing what happened but not telling anyone about it. Ashleigh raised an eyebrow.

"What were you talking about?" She asked, curious. Varric chuckled yet again and looked at Ashleigh.

"Only time will tell, bobetta."


End file.
